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LiveScience
LiveScience
Emily Cooke

Can you forget your native language?

A woman looks at her phone with a stressed expression.

A native language, or "mother tongue," is the first language a person learns and is usually a key part of their identity, allowing them to connect with their family and friends and to embrace their culture and heritage.

But is it possible to forget your native language — for example, if you move to another region or country and start speaking a different dialect or language?

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